Eating Lionfish

“Can you eat lionfish?” seems to be the most common question we still hear while talking to people about the lionfish invasion. The answer is a resounding

Yes, people do eat lionfish and they are delicious!

… and eating lionfish is great for several reasons:

Eating non-native lionfish is good for the environment.It is the ultimate in responsible seafood selections because removing lionfish helps our reefs and native fish stocks recover from environmental pressures, lionfish predation and overfishing. Eating non-native lionfish into extinction would , in this case, be a very good thing.

Eating lionfish is a healthier choice than most other fish commonly served in restaurants like snapper, grouper, dorado, wahoo, amberjack, tunas and billfish. Lionfish have been shown to be higher in heart healthy Omega 3 fatty acids, lower in saturated fats and heavy metals such as mercury.

Red lionfish and theDevil Firefish cannot currently be farmed and commercially cultivated, when you eat lionfish you are supporting local fishermen and divers who recognize the danger to their livelihoods, are practicing sustainable fishing methods and making smart decisions! Eating lionfish means that you are putting money back into the local economy, joining an important cause and supporting worthy people!

Did I mention that lionfish are delicious? If you like to eat fish, I am certain that lionfish will rank near the very top of your favorites list!

The answer is a very simple, “NO.” Many thousands of people have eaten lionfish and hundreds of restaurants serve lionfish on their menus in dozens of ways. We have not heard of one food-borne related illness having been reported as it directly relates to properly prepared lionfish. Only the spines contain the venom everyone seems well aware of and even “fresh” venom would not cause poisoning if it were ingested. There is no poison in the flesh of the lionfish meat at all.

The second question we most often get about eating lionfish is, “What does lionfish taste like?” We’ve prepared an entire article about what lionfish tastes like but, in short, I like to sum it up this way:

Lionfish is a white flaky fish, firmer in texture than halibut, no “red line” with a flavor profile somewhere between a thin grouper fillet and mahi mahi (dolphinfish or dorado depending upon where you live) with a touch of butteriness.

Others, of course, have their own descriptions but I’ve not come across anyone that otherwise likes to eat white fish who doesn’t like eating lionfish, too!

It’s certainly better than tilapia (BLECH!).

Other questions we get are about getting lionfish fillets or where they can try lionfish. If you want to eat lionfish, we have compiled a growing list of local restaurants that serve lionfish when they have them available (if you know of a restaurant that belongs on the list please let us know).

If you want to get fresh lionfish you will most likely have to hunt lionfish and catch them on your own or, if you live in an area that is affected by non-native lionfish, you can also go to a local dive shop and ask them for a referral to a diver who is actively hunting lionfish; perhaps you can score some from him or her. Other than in the Foster’s Food Fair chain of grocery stores in the Caymans and Publix in Florida, I am not aware of any other “inland” grocery stores or seafood markets where it is sold at retail.

If you are brave enough to catch a lionfish on your own but have no experience in cleaning, filleting and preparing lionfish, you will want to check out our preparation page before handling them too much; lionfish are easier to clean and fillet than you might imagine once you get beyond the tricky parts.

Lastly, what good would going through all of the trouble to get lionfish if you didn’t know how to best prepare them? A general rule is that any of your favorite recipes or cooking methods that works well with any other white-meat fish will work wonderfully with lionfish as well. The most common ways to eat lionfish seem to be in ceviche, fried or raw, sushi or sashimi-style; my favorite is to eat lionfish sashimi – it needs little else than a bit of wasabi and soy sauce for my taste. Why not get creative though???

Here is a collection of our favorite lionfish recipes and if you have one you’d like to add, please send it to us through our contact page. We’d love to feature it on our website and give you all the credit for your culinary creation!

L. Scott Harrell is the co-founder of the World Lionfish Hunters Association. He now owns a scuba diving marketing consultancy in Cozumel, Mexico and offers expert PADI scuba instruction and private divemaster services. You can hunt lionfish in Cozumel, too!

I don’t know of a restaurant. You may try Matt’s Casbah in Melbourne. As far as buyng it, you can get FRESH lion fish at Amazing Seafood on the corner of US1 and Babcock. At Matt’s ask for Matt and at Amazing Seafood as foe Yari. In both places tell them Sandi sent you.
Good luck

Is they a way we can get Lionfish fillets more wide spread, say at whole foods nation wide. I’d be willing to demonstrate hkw to cook them, These lousy invasive fish needs to be removed from our waterways and eating them is a win win especially for low income people and the elderly.

In the Southeast (Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Florida) you can go to any Publix Super Market and order it from the seafood department. Because it’s only harvested by divers, it’s not always available but it often is.

I live in southeast Florida and I just bought a whole lionfish at Whole Foods, on sale for $8.99 lb. I sauted it in olive oil until the skin crisped up, just a few minutes on a side, and then finished it in a hot oven far about 5 minutes. It was absolutely delicious. Anyone that likes mild white fish will love this fish.

I tried Lionfish for the first time while in Cozumel in February while staying at the Cozumel Palace. It was served at the “Chef’s Dinner.” The chef said that he was very proud to serve it. I was a little apprehensive, but the chef educated me about the venomous spines and how it didn’t affect the meat. It was terrific and I highly recommend it.

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Lionfish Hunters

Who We Are
The lionfish hunters at Lionfish.co represent sportsmen with a passion for the conservation of reef and native fishes by hunting non-native lionfish in the Western Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.

What We Do
We promote the removal of non-native & invasive lionfish through education, outreach and direct-action hunting campaigns.

Our Mission
The total eradication of Pterois volitans (Red Lionfish) and Pterois miles (Common Lionfish or Devil Firefish) from Atlantic and Caribbean waters to protect native coral reef ecosystems, local fisheries and the people who depend on them.